The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-28
CHARLESTON ITEMS.
The Interest in Local Politics-The
Scheme for a Soldiers Home.

The Interest in Local Politics-The
Scheme for Soldiers Home.
CHARLESTON, Nov. 27.--Public interest
here is divided between the coming munich
pal election, the illness Of Gen. w. N. Taft,
who is about the sole surviving Republican
carpet-bagger left in the State, and the
work of the Legislature, which met in
Columbia on Tuesday last. There has been
no change in the political situation during
| the week
TALK OF AN INDEPENDENT TICKET.
There has been some talk of running an
Independent ticket by dissatisfied Demo
Gratis, with ex-Alderman f. f. Sweegan at
its head, and the newspapers have been in
dustriously engaged in running Mr.. Swee-
gan to earth. Mr.. Sweegan. however, is an
astute politician, having, according to his
own statement, held public Office of some
kind or other for thirty years or more, and
| Mr.. Sweegan declines to say whether he
will enter the field as an Independent or not.
Mr.. Sweegan is rather of the bulldog spe-
cies, and he has been considerably ''nagged"
of late. Mr.. Sweegan has too great a regard
for public Office to commit political hari
kari, but if the newspaper reporters keep
on ''nagging" him it is just possible that
there win be an Independent ticket.
The illness of ex-Postmaster Taft has
rather demoralized the &. o. p. Taft is one
| of the very few carpet-baggers left here
who came in with reconstruction. Most of
| the big guns have gone away or gone TO the
dogs, and made ducks and brakes of their
| riches. Taft remains, and until his illness,
prospered in spite of the loss of his office.
He was sharp, shrewd Rhode Islander,
without education. In the twenty odd
years of his residence here, however, he
| picked up considerable education. He was
| temperate in his habits, and was in fact,
| one of the last persons one would
suppose would be subject to insanity.
Some years ago he was shot at
by man in the Charleston Hotel lobby, a
man with whose wife he was accused OF hav-
ing been too intimate. The ball made a
scalp wound very slight, and caused no in
convenience at the time. Taft's friends think
it possible that this might have caused a de-
preston of the skull by means of a tumor,
and that this might be the cause of his in
sanity. He has been taken to the asylum
at Columbia. A good deal of sympathy is
felt for his wife and family. He married a
daughter of ex-Gov. +. |. Moses of this State.
She was OF the time of her marriage
to him the widow of ex-Sherif G. G. Bowen,
man who at one time was the most power
full Radical politician in South Carolina.
Taft had q great many friends even among
his political opponents and during his adj
ministration of the affairs OF the post Office
was very popular with the business portion
of the community because of his admirable
management of its affairs.
THE LEGISLATURE.
The General Assembly has done nothing as
vet of revolutionary character. The cal
endars are flooded with bills and it is prob
able that the statute books will, by Christ
mas, have about two hundred more laws in
scribed upon them. Among other subjects
that will be of interest is proposition TO
provide support for disabled Con
federate soldiers and seamen Several
bills have already been introduced,
one of which was reported unfavorably yes
terday. This was a bill to provide for
soldiers home, at a cost of S25, 900 per an
mum, the building and grounds TO be fur
nished by the town or county in which the
home is to be located. The scheme is vision
ary and impracticable, and will not be
adopted. 1t is probable, though, that some
provision in the nature of a pension will be
made